Weakened Immunity
by ShadowRebirth37
Summary: Post TMC. Mick is enjoying being human again for the first time since his Turning. But when he falls ill with a dangerous virus, Josef has to take care of him. But will he be able to keep himself from hurting his mortal friend? Bad summary. Please R & R!
1. Contagion

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! Well… this is my first _Moonlight_ fic. ^^; I can't help it, I've been in love with the show for a very long time, but this is the first time I've actually gotten around to writing a fic about it. ^^; This fic was inspired by a co-authored _Zoids_ vampire fic titled _**Crimson Retribution**_, and it gave me just the little push I needed to write this fic. Also, Silvanelf's fic, _**Renaissance**_ gave me the inspiration and 'kick in the rear' to start writing this fic. ^^And, catching _"The Mortal Cure"_ episode gave me a great idea!! ^^ Considering Mick's been turned into a human, he wants to experience every aspect of being mortal again. But… 'every aspect' might not be the same as 'every _positive_ aspect'. ^^; You'll see what I mean in a minute. Also, this is NOT a slash fic or anything of the sort. This can be viewed as a slight friendship fic between Mick and Josef, because I just love the friendship between those two. :P Anyway, here's chapter 1- Contagion!! (I'm sure that probably worries some of you ^^;)

**Disclaimer**- Nope, I don't own Moonlight sadly, or any of its wonderful characters. I only own this fic, this storyline and plot, and all that fine stuff. Besides, if I owned Moonlight, there'd be a season two! ^^

**Note**- this fic is AU in the sense that what's going to happen in this fic, doesn't happen in the show. I'm sure you all know what AU means, so I probably just made myself look like an idiot. -_- But, this fic takes place during/after _"The Mortal Cure"_, after Mick has been turned human and has started to enjoy the finer parts of being human. And, I realize that my description on Mick's apartment might not be accurate, and that probably some other info about the series might be incorrect, but cut me some slack. I only just caught the tail end of a Moonlight episode in the last two months and the other information I got from the only sources I could find and might not be all that credible, so my fic may not be exactly precise. Go easy on me alright? The focus on the fic is about the characters and plot, not the miscellaneous info being exactly right, k? ^^;

* * *

_**.:Chapter 1- Contagion:.**_

The warm light of the sun filtered in through the windows of Mick St. John's apartment, reaching the former vampire's sleeping form. It had been a week since he had become mortal again, thanks to the cure Coraline had given him, and he had been enjoying every minute of it. He had risen with the sun and stayed awake as long as he could, not wanting to waste a minute of his new-found mortality. He didn't miss his previous vampiric existence in the slightest, except for maybe spending time with his best friend Josef, whom he hadn't seen or spoken too since he had become mortal. He hadn't told his friend that he had become human yet, not because he didn't trust him; he trusted Josef with his life, but because he knew Josef might just get a little too… excited… and he didn't want to tempt disaster so soon.

After a few minutes of the sun shining on his face, Mick's eyes fluttered open, blinking tiredly. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, which were now a warm, _human_ hazel; brighter and warmer now that he was mortal and enjoying himself. He glanced over at the clock on the table beside the bed he had recently purchased to accommodate his temporary human existence. It read 7:30. _'… I should probably get up… don't want to waste any time…'_ Mick thought, stretching his arms and yawning. For the first time in fifty years, fangs were absent from his mouth, and he was very glad about that.

Mick slid out of bed, wearing a pair of black and grey night clothes. He got up and walked to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and combing his hair. After he finished he looked in the mirror for a minute. Since he had become human, his appearance had changed drastically. His eyes were bright and warm, not cold like they had been since his turning. His skin had lost its ghastly pallor, and was now slightly blushed from the _human_ blood in his veins and lightly tanned from his time in the light of the sun. He no longer had the fangs, and his eyes were no longer cold; the calling cards of vampires. He was happy to be rid of them, and to be mortal.

Turning off the light, Mick walked out of the bathroom and made his way to his kitchen. He stopped and looked out the window, watching the sun as it peeked over the Los Angeles skyline. Had he been a vampire, the sun would have been assaulting his sensitive eyes, but since he was not, he gazed at it with a sense of awe. A few minutes later his stomach growled, reminding him why he had come downstairs in the first place. The remote to the television was sitting on the counter, and he pointed it at the TV and hit the power button. It came on a moment later, a reporter explaining a crime that had happened during the night. Mick turned and walked into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator. Searching for a moment, Mick pulled out a can of soda and opened it, taking a few drinks. Decades without a taste made the fizzy drink that much sweeter.

Just as Mick turned to find something to eat, the phone rang. He picked it up and read the ID. He smiled when he recognized Beth's number flash across the phone's ID. He pushed the connect button and held the phone to his ear. "Good morning Beth." Mick greeted her, leaning back against the counter.

"Good morning Mick." Beth returned the greeting, "I hate to tell you this, but something came up at work. I'm not going to be able to get free until late…" she sighed, knowing Mick had wanted to spend the day with her. Mick frowned, but he knew if Beth missed too much work, someone would get suspicious.

"I understand Beth. Don't worry, I'll stay out of trouble and find something to get in to…" he replied, though he really didn't have a clue as to what he was going to do.

"Alright Mick, I hope you have fun enjoying being alive." Beth replied, choosing her words carefully due to being at work, "I'll catch up with you tomorrow, promise."

"I'll keep you too it. You better get back to work; I don't want you getting yourself in trouble." Mick joked slightly, "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Beth."

"Goodbye Mick." Beth replied, before they both hit the disconnect buttons on their phones. Mick sighed and leaned his head back slightly, the phone remaining in his hands. _'Well… there goes my day…'_ he mused in his head, _'… I'm tempted to call Josef… but I'm not sure if I want to chance it just yet… I know I can trust him, but I'm still getting used to being human, and I don't want to do or say the wrong thing around him…'_ he pondered, looking down at his phone idly, tossing it up and down slightly in his hands.

As if responding to his thoughts, a story came on the news. _"… and don't forget, today at the beach is the annual Jazz Festival, to raise money for the local Children's Hospital! If you have time, stop by and listen to some good music and partake in some of the festivities, after all it's for a good cause!! In other news, another case of the Sonora virus has been reported in a beachside suburb…"_ Mick stopped listening; focusing on the story he had just heard.

"A jazz festival…" he mused aloud, "… seeing as I have no other way to spend my day, it might be fun to go take a walk around and hear some music…" he couldn't help but smile slightly at the notion. It would surely bring back memories, not to mention have a good time. Mick walked back upstairs to get ready, having decided a day at the festival would be a good chance to listen to some music and enjoy himself without his vampire senses and limitations getting in the way. He took a shower and got dressed, wearing a simple white shirt and pants.

After half an hour he was ready, and walked back down the stairs. Walking into the kitchen, he reached to grab his keys, when his cell caught his eye. He picked up his cell phone and glanced at the screen. One New Message. Mick bit his lip, opening the message. As he suspected, it was from Josef.

_You haven't come over in a while. Everything alright? Call sometime –Josef_

Mick sighed, before he put the phone in his pocket, not even texting him back. _'It's too soon… I'm sure that if he knew, he'd want to come and see me, or invite me over. I don't want to tempt him. He knows I don't really like it when he has his freshies around, so if I go over there while human he might be tempted to…'_ his thoughts trailed off, not wanting to think of what could happen. He knew if anything did end up happening, it wouldn't have been Josef's fault. He was human now, and technically he was food. And he didn't want to put either himself or Josef in that situation.

Picking up his keys, Mick started towards the door. He didn't bother turning off the TV, wanting to get to the festival. The reporter on the news was still rambling on about the Sonora virus outbreak, not that he cared. He left his apartment and walked to the elevator, which took him down to ground level. When the elevator doors opened, he withdrew his keys and started towards where he had parked his car, wanting to get to the festival before it got too hot. Even though he wasn't a vampire any longer, it didn't mean he was going to sit out in the hot sun for a few hours when he didn't need too.

* * *

Mick pulled his car into a parking area near the beach. It was only around nine o'clock, though as he had expected the traffic had been bad, this was Los Angeles after all. Despite no longer being a vampire, he pulled out his sunglasses and put them on out of habit. Besides, the bright sun would probably hurt his eyes even though he was human anyway. He made sure he had his wallet and his cell phone before he climbed out of his car. Shutting the door behind him, he adjusted his sunglasses and looked over towards where the festival was.

A large group of people had gathered on the beach, near some temporary stages that had been erected for the event. Mick could see three bands playing, but he was sure there were probably more not on the stages. He leaned back against his car and crossed his arms over his chest, and couldn't help but smile. This was going to be a fun day…

* * *

Josef sighed, leaning back against his couch, his cell phone in his hand. It was nearly sunset now, and still there was no sign of his best friend Mick. He was concerned by his friend's lack of contact with him, and was starting to wonder if something had happened to him, especially considering both Lance and Coraline were somewhere in the city. _'I can't leave Mick alone for a second, now can I?'_ Josef thought, sighing outwardly. The vampire glanced down at his cell phone, fingering some of the buttons absentmindedly. He had sent his friend a text late last night, and he still hadn't responded. That concerned him, since Mick rarely was without his phone for that length of time.

The older vampire was worried for his friend. He was tempted to call Beth and ask if she'd seen Mick recently, but since he wasn't exactly fond of the human he wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Besides, she was probably reporting something anyway. _'… something's up with Mick… it's been a week and he hasn't even called… I hope Lance didn't get a hold of him, or Coraline…'_ Josef couldn't help but growl at the thought of the female vampire. She had been a thorn in he and Mick's sides ever since the night she turned Mick without his consent. And now that she had reappeared, in human form no less, Mick had been swept up in a desperate search to recover his humanity. A futile search in Josef's opinion, but apparently that was a fact lost on his younger counterpart.

Reaching over and grabbing the remote, Josef flipped on his television. The news came on, showing a reporter in one of the seaside suburbs. _"Yet another case of the Sonora virus has been confirmed here. The infected person has been taken to the hospital, and although the virus is in a later stage, is expected to survive thanks to a shot of penicillin. Two other people, however, have died from the virus this week alone…"_ Josef watched the story with idle interest, not really caring, but not really bored enough to flip the channel, _"… the symptoms include fever, shaking, weakness, coughing up blood, the skin being cold to the touch, glazing to the eyes, paling of the skin, lack of appetite, light headedness and collapsing. This is a very dangerous virus, though if detected early can be stopped thanks to either a penicillin shot or lots of rest and care. In other news, another home invasion on the west side has been linked to the dangerous MS-13 gang…"_

Josef sighed and got up, walking over into his kitchen. He glanced at the clock, which read 8:45 PM. The older vampire leaned against his kitchen counter, glancing down at his cell phone blankly. He pressed a few buttons, opening his schedule. Nothing was scheduled for the rest of the day, or night. And now with his freshies having gone home, he decided to try and raise Mick. He called Mick's cell on speed dial, bringing the phone up to his ear. It rang once, twice, three times, and then went to voice mail. Josef sighed again, before leaving a message. "Mick, where are you? You haven't called or anything in nearly a week. You've got me worried. Call me back when you get this." Josef left a message, ending the call after he finished. He looked down at the phone, exhaling loudly, not even realizing he had been holding his breath. He didn't like this, at all. Mick always kept in touch. Something had to be wrong…

* * *

Mick had left the Jazz Festival an hour earlier, and was back in his apartment. He was standing in the kitchen, drinking a glass of cold water. He felt… strange- warm, slightly dizzy and light headed. He figured he had just overheated from spending the day in the hot sun when he wasn't accustomed to it. After all he had avoided the sun for the last fifty years, so being in its light without the searing pain of it burning his skin was a new experience.

'… _did I eat something bad? I feel terrible…'_ Mick pondered, feeling a strange tightening in his chest, _'No… if it had been something I ate, my stomach would be upset… and wouldn't be affecting my lungs…'_ he determined. But, that realization didn't make him feel any better. Instead, it concerned him. Very much so.

A sudden realization dawned on Mick. "Oh no… what if I'm sick?" he asked himself, before he groaned at the thought. _'I __am__ human again… and humans get sick…'_ he thought, sighing outwardly. The last thing he needed was to get sick. Especially if it turned out to be that virus that was spreading around the city, then he'd be in serious trouble. The only 'cure' for it, if it was in an advanced stage, was a shot of penicillin. Unfortunately, he was one of the few people who were allergic to penicillin. The only other way to fight off the virus was rest and a lot of care and watching over.

"I just hope that's not what I have…" Mick mused to himself, sighing loudly, _'The virus is supposed to be highly contagious… if I have it, Beth wouldn't be able to help me get back my strength; I don't want her to get sick too…'_ he finished in his mind, _'… the only other option would be Josef but… a vampire watching over a sick and weakened human? That will end badly…'_ he sighed outwardly. He just hoped his lungs were just getting accustomed to breathing constantly all the time…

An hour went by, and Mick's condition deteriorated drastically. He had paled and his eyes had glazed over, and for a while Mick had been in a panic, thinking the cure had worn off so soon. But, when he realized he still lacked the fangs, he knew that wasn't the case, which left only one alternative… _he was sick_. The former vampire had laid down on the couch, trying to stop his spinning vision. He felt lightheaded and weak, and his lungs had tightened further, making breathing difficult. Mick hadn't been sick in nearly half a century, and therefore had forgotten just how miserable it was.

Minutes seemed to be hours, and as each second ticked by he felt worse and worse. He was pale as he had been when he was still a vampire, and his eyes had glazed and became cold like they had been for fifty years. Half an hour later, the coughing fits hit. He coughed violently, and during the last few fits, the unmistakable taste of blood filled his mouth. Now that he was human, blood didn't taste the same as it had to him when had been a vampire. Tissues covered the floor around the couch, many red with blood. A stream of the crimson liquid dripped from the corner of his mouth, and covered his hands. He was shaking slightly, and he was starting to panic. He was slowly starting to believe he actually had the Sonora virus, and he knew he needed help.

Mick struggled to get up, managing to get to his feet. He staggered to the kitchen, falling into the counter. He only just managed to catch himself, and held himself up so he wouldn't fall, knowing he probably would be unable to get up. Looking around frantically, he spied his cell phone and grabbed for it. He flipped it open and struggled to dial Josef's number, knowing he'd be the only one that'd be close enough to help him. The phone shook in his hands, but he managed to dial his friend's number.

It rang once, then twice. "Josef… p-please answer…" Mick begged, and by the grace of God he heard the click of Josef opening his phone on the other end.

"Mr. Kostan speaking." Josef answered formally, though Mick had a hard time understanding him as he felt his grip on consciousness slipping slightly. The speed at which the illness had sat in scared even him.

"… J-Josef…" Mick struggled to say, his lungs refusing to function normally.

"Mick? Mick is that you?" Josef replied, the business-liked tone vanishing from his voice, "Mick what's wrong? Are you alright?!"

"N-no… need… h-help…" Mick choked on his own words, coughing up more blood, "… at… a-apartment… g-get here f-fast…" he added quietly, staggering on his feet. His vision was starting to spin and he was seeing double, and he knew that was a bad sign.

"Mick, hold on I'll be right there!" Josef said, clearly concerned and a little panicked. Then again, Mick could just be hearing him wrong.

"… h-hurry…" Mick managed to breathe out, before he groaned as his legs buckled and he collapsed, the phone spinning away from him. He tried to push himself off the ground, but he fell back to the ground.

"Mick?! Mick, answer me! Mick!!" he could faintly hear Josef's voice coming from his phone, but he couldn't reach it. Mick could feel his consciousness start to go, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He groaned weakly, before everything went dark…

* * *

Josef was at Mick's apartment building as fast as he could, though the traffic slowed him down. He jumped out of his Ferrari and slammed the door shut, running into the building. Before anyone even knew he was there, he was in the elevator. He pushed the button half a dozen times before the doors closed, trying to seem as calm as possible so not to draw attention to himself. He paced nervously in the elevator, panicked from Mick's urgent phone call. He had _never_ heard Mick like that before, and he was afraid something horrible had happened to his best friend.

The moment the elevator door opened, Josef bolted out and ran to Mick's apartment. He opened the door using a key, and flung it open, looking around frantically for his friend. "Mick?!" he called, trying to locate his friend. Mick!! Where are y-?" Josef froze, sniffing the air. His sense of smell picked up on the scent of blood. _Human_ blood. His eyes flashed to silver, and he could feel his fangs drawing out. Josef shook his head to try and regain focus. Finding Mick was more important that feeding; he could drink later.

"Mick, answer me! Where are you!!" he called out, walking into the apartment. He could hear the television, but a moment later his sensitive hearing picked up on the telltale thumping of a human heart in the kitchen. Once again he was drawn towards it, but he brushed it off, his friend more important.

Josef walked into the living room, and his now-silver eyes alighted on the dozens of bloody tissues littering the floor. He swallowed hard, the delicious scent of the fresh blood filling the air, and combined with the heartbeat in the kitchen; tempted him to find the human it came from and feed. Josef shook his head and turned away, and after a moment his fangs retracted and his eyes returned to their normal color, his inner vampire repressed… for the time being.

Even though he knew it'd probably end in disaster, the heartbeat coming from the kitchen was proving difficult to ignore for many reasons. One was because he was hungry, and combined with the scent of blood made it very difficult to ignore. And also because he wasn't sure who the human was; he couldn't pick up Beth's scent, so it couldn't be her. And for some reason, the scent wafting from the kitchen smelled oddly familiar, but the vampire couldn't place it.

Josef eventually walked towards the kitchen. As he drew closer, he couldn't stop a low growl from escaping his throat, the scent of blood growing stronger and thicker in the air. His eyes faded to silver and his fangs once again distended, but he managed to control himself. For the moment that is. He entered the kitchen and breathed in slowly, taking in the scent of fresh blood and a weakened human. Another growl escaped him, licking his lips before he managed to shake it off. "Mick?" he called out, walking into the kitchen. A soft groan was his reply.

"… J-Josef…?" a voice weakly answered him, drawing the vampire's attention to his left. His eyes widened when he recognized Mick's form, collapsed on the floor with a small puddle of blood pooling near his mouth. A sniff told him that the blood _wasn't_ from a victim, but from _Mick_. Josef blinked and looked as if he had been slapped across the face. He took a step back, unable to believe what he was seeing. _Mick was human_. At the very thought, a low hiss built in his throat, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He hadn't fed all day, and there was blood all over the floor. And it smelled _delicious_.

Josef restrained himself from pouncing on his friend, knowing he could very well kill Mick in his state. He forced himself to look to the side, trying not to focus on the bright crimson blood covering the floor. The sound of Mick pushing himself into a sitting position drew his gaze back, and he saw that he was now leaning back against the cabinets and counter. Josef's silvered eyes immediately focused on the blood that was dripping from Mick's mouth, down his neck… Josef shook his head, tearing his gaze from his now-mortal friend's neck. No matter how tempting it was, he didn't want to even think of hurting his best friend.

"Mick… what happened? Why are you… _human_?" Josef asked, trying to focus on Mick's eyes instead of the blood all over the kitchen floor and covering his friend's shirt.

"C-Coraline… gave… me it…" Mick breathed but trailed off, unable to finish his sentence and looking over at Josef. His eyes were glazed and lifeless and his skin pale, and if not for his distinctly human scent, Josef might have just mistaken him for still being a vampire. Struggling to keep his urges in check, Josef slowly made his way over to his friend, trying to ignore the inviting scent of blood. He crouched down beside Mick, completely vamped out due to the overwhelming scent of blood coming from Mick. His silver eyes darted between the blood trailing from Mick's mouth, down to his unprotected neck. Mick blinked, seeing his friend's silver eyes and extended fangs.

"Josef…?" Mick asked quietly, seeing how his friend was looking him over. Josef forced himself to meet Mick's gaze, trying to stop himself from lunging at Mick.

"Sorry... it's just a little hard to… control myself…" Josef replied, forcing his fangs back and the silver to leave his eyes. "… what happened to you? Why is there… blood… everywhere?" he questioned, hoping talking would keep himself from pouncing on his best friend. Mick took a minute to respond.

"… went to the… Jazz Festival… when I-I came home… felt sick…" Mick slurred slightly, having a difficult time speaking. Josef's eyes widened slightly.

"This blood is just from being sick?!" Josef nearly shouted, having a hard time understanding how Mick was ill in the first place. _'Oh right… the cure… he's not immune to human illnesses anymore…'_ he concluded in his mind. Josef thought for a minute, before his eyes widened as he recognized some of the symptoms from the newscast earlier that evening…

Mick had the Sonora virus…

_**.:End of Chapter 1:.**_

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**AN**- oh no! Mick managed to catch the Sonora virus!! D: Just a little note, the Sonora virus is something I made up, so don't worry if you haven't heard it. ^^; And, the idea for Mick and Josef texting each other came from Talismen's fic _**Filling in the Blanks**_. This isn't going to be a terribly long fic, but I hope you'll all enjoy it!! Keep in mind this is my first Moonlight fic, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway!! I hope I got everyone in character; I haven't seen any full Moonlight episodes recently, so this is mostly from memory. Thanks for reading and please review!! :D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	2. Blood Fever

**AN**- Hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! So, I left off at a rather worrying note last chapter, with Mick gravely ill and Josef's control over himself questionable. But hey, with Mick getting blood all over the place, can't blame Josef for getting vamped out right? ^^; Well, we'll just have to see how long he'll be able to resist having a taste of poor, sick Mick. ^^; And with Mick allergic to penicillin, the only cure for the advanced stage of the Sonora virus, what'll happen if he doesn't get better? D: Well, you'll just have to find out later. ^^; Anyway, here's chapter 2- Blood Fever!! (ohh… that _screams_ bad things, doesn't it? :P)

**Note**- if any of my readers have Time Warner Digital Cable, _Moonlight_ is on every Monday night at 8:00 PM eastern time on _Chiller_, channel 223. I recently found that out, and thought I'd share it with you, if you didn't already know. Well, enjoy chapter two! ^^

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It was now eleven o'clock at night, and Mick had fallen into an uneasy sleep on the couch. Josef had had to help Mick up the stairs to his room, where he had changed out of his bloodied white shirt and back into his black and grey night clothes. After the vampire had helped him back down to the couch, which would allow Josef to keep a close eye on him, did Mick doze off. It had taken a good deal of control to keep from biting Mick in his sleep when he coughed up more blood, but he was able to restrain from harming his best friend. He even cleaned up the blood that covered the kitchen floor and the tissues by the couch, without doing anything rash. Normally he wouldn't have vamped out so easily, but due to not having fed all day, he was hungry and was a bit easier to set off.

Josef glanced over at Mick, sighing quietly. _'You just __had__ to turn mortal in the middle of a virus outbreak, didn't you?'_ he thought, rolling his eyes slightly. Taking care of a sick human while two powerful vampires were loose in the city wasn't how Josef had planned to spend his week. Then again, he wasn't about to leave Mick in this state where he could possibly die just to go on a wild goose chase after two vampires who might have already fled the city. Besides, Lance and Coraline weren't worth risking Mick's life over. Mick was far more important than chasing off those two.

The vampire turned his gaze towards the window, eyes settling on the full moon hovering above the city skyline. He took a breath and exhaled, even though he didn't need to. He tended to do so when he was deep in thought or stressed. Josef watched the moon for a minute before he turned back, vivid brown eyes alighting on his enfeebled mortal friend. He could hear the roughness of each breath Mick took, ragged and gasping as if he was struggling for air. Each exhaled breath brought with it a rattling wheeze, and also the unmistakable scent of blood. Josef felt his eyes flash to icy silver and his fangs start to draw out, but he forced them to return to normal. The longer he was around the scent of the blood, he knew that the chance that he'd slip up and do something he'd regret would increase, so he decided to temporarily remove himself from the situation.

After making sure his friend would be alright for a little bit, did Josef leave Mick to sleep and go to his friend's computer. He figured he might as well do a little research on the virus Mick had and see if there was any way to speed up his recovery. After all he didn't want to let Mick suffer if there was a cure he could use to help him recover. The vampire swiftly typed in the virus's name, and soon found a credible site on it. He sighed when he read the virus's description. It wasn't good-

_**Sonora**__(sun-nor-ah) __**virus**- also known as "Blood Fever". A highly contagious virus spread from person to person through contact with an infected person's blood or breath. This virus is highly dangerous to persons with weakened immunity. The virus attacks the blood vessels in the lungs, causing bleeding and difficulty breathing. The virus also causes the clotting agent in the blood to not function normally, so if an infected person receives even a small cut, the wound will bleed continually and if the wound is bad enough the person can bleed to death. The telltale symptoms of this virus is that an infected person will cough up blood incessantly, and will have a high fever. This is why the virus is commonly called "Blood Fever". The only known cure for the Sonora virus is a shot of penicillin, which kills the virus. If penicillin isn't available, rest and orange juice has been shown to help fight off the virus and help replace blood lost in the lungs. The virus itself is short lived, usually only lasting three to five days. Any activities that could result in injury should be avoided, and an infected person should be monitored closely, for a person can go into shock from the blood loss and die._

Josef sighed and leaned back in the office chair, tapping a pen against the surface of the table. "It just _had_ to be a virus that makes him bleed…" he breathed, shaking his head slightly. This was going to be a challenge on his part, but he wasn't going to leave his friend just because the blood was bothering him. _'I should have fed earlier… then I wouldn't be so drawn to the blood Mick's getting everywhere…'_ he thought, looking at the pen he was tapping against the desk idly, _'… well, four hundred years of learning to control myself can really come in handy… let's just hope my inner vampire doesn't get the better of me…'_ he mused in his head as he closed out of the internet and got to his feet.

As Josef walked back towards the living room, his sensitive hearing picked up on the rustling of fabric in the other room. He stopped for a minute, listening. It sounded like Mick had woken up and was moving around. If that was the case, he shouldn't have been up, not while he could possibly hurt himself. He didn't want Mick hurting himself and getting blood everywhere. He wasn't sure if he could trust himself if that happened. Suddenly, he heard Mick coughing violently. Josef grew concerned, and immediately he ran to the living room, sensing Mick needed help.

* * *

Mick groaned weakly and slowly blinked open his hazel eyes, glancing around his apartment blankly. He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep, if you could call it sleep, but he figured it couldn't have been too long, judging by the presence and positioning of the moon in the sky. His eyes drifted over to the opposite couch where he had last seen Josef, and he stilled when he realized he wasn't there anymore. Mick blinked, but before he could look around anymore a coughing fit struck the sick human. He covered his mouth as his lungs convulsed, blood filling his mouth as the coughing fit worsened.

A few minutes later the fit subsided, but when he pulled his hands back they were slick with thick crimson blood. Mick blinked, staring at his hands for a minute. Blood dripped from his hands, streaming down his arms, covering his mouth. _'Oh no… if Josef sees this I'm gonna be in a lot of trouble…'_ Mick realized, glancing around again. He knew Josef was hungry, since he hadn't had any blood since he had called him several hours before. When he saw that his friend had yet to make an appearance, did he try to clean himself up before he returned.

Reaching out, he grabbed a few tissues from the coffee table. His hands were shaking from the shock of the sudden coughing fit, and combined with the fever and blurry vision made it difficult for the former vampire to try and clean off the blood. Mick tried to wipe off his hands and arms, but the blood was so thick it tore the tissues. He tried in vain to clean the saliva-thickened blood from his mouth, but once again the tissues only cleaned away so much. There was so much blood on his hands and arms; it looked like he had just murdered someone with his bare hands. _'I need to wash this off before it dries… and before Josef smells this…'_ he told himself mentally, staggering uneasily to his feet.

Just as Mick turned to try and reach the kitchen to wash the blood from him, he heard a low growl from the hallway. Mick froze instantly, slowly turning towards the source of the noise. His newly-beating heart nearly stopped when he saw Josef blocking the hallway, fully vamped out. His icy-silver eyes flitted from the blood coating his hands and arms to the crimson liquid covering his mouth and dripping down his neck. His fangs were fully drawn out, clearly visible in his partly open mouth. Mick stared at his friend, knowing it wasn't his fault, but also worried about what he might do. He took a step back, not taking his eyes from the vampire.

"J-Josef…" Mick said quietly, watching his friend for any warning of an attack. Josef seemed to twitch, as if he was keeping himself from lunging, before he looked Mick in the eyes.

"Yeah?" Josef responded, trying to keep from looking at the blood covering Mick's face.

"Y-you… alright?" Mick asked, knowing his friend had to be holding himself back due to the blood that was covering him. Josef's eyes faded back to brown and his fangs were forced back.

"Never better…" Josef replied, walking over to Mick, "… good God, that's a lot of blood…" he muttered, seeing just how much of the crimson liquid Mick had coughed up, "… we need to get that cleaned up…" he added, stopping beside Mick.

* * *

As Josef helped Mick to the kitchen, he had to keep himself from vamping out again. The smell of the blood was extremely tempting, but helping Mick was more important than figuring out if his blood tasted as good as it smelled. And as if the blood hadn't been enough of a temptation, Mick had nearly fallen over at least three times, and to keep him from falling and hurting himself Josef was helping him stand up. Mick's arm was draped over Josef's shoulder and around his neck, so that if he fell again Josef would be able to hold him up. The only problem with Mick's arm being over his shoulder was that not only was Mick's bloody wrist _very_ close to the vampire's mouth, but also that Josef had a clear shot at his friend's blood-covered neck…

Josef forced himself to focus on looking forward, not allowing his eyes to drift over to Mick's neck or wrist again. _'__Why__ did he have to get sick with __this__?!'_ he thought, _'… this is going to be a long few days…'_ he sighed outwardly. He knew his inner vampire would try to get at Mick every minute he was around him, but he didn't want to leave Mick's side with him so sick. The notion of losing his best friend was too much for the vampire, and the thought of losing Mick because of him attacking him made Josef shudder. Thankfully Mick's dulled human senses didn't pick up on it.

Mick and Josef reached the kitchen a few minutes later. He helped his mortal friend over to the sink, grabbing the extendible nozzle and testing the water. Mick burning himself with water that was too hot wouldn't help him get better any sooner. After all, now that he was human he had to be careful with stuff like water now, since he could really tell the difference between hot and cold now. "Alright Mick… hold out your arm…" Josef said, knowing that if he let Mick try to do it he'd get water and blood all over the place. And he knew that wouldn't end well, for either of them.

Nodding, Mick did as Josef said and held out his arm over the sink. Josef bit his lip to keep his fangs from drawing out, but he couldn't stop his eyes from flashing to silver. It would be so easy to bite into Mick's wrist and take a drink before the human could do anything to stop him… Josef shook his head, focusing instead on making sure he didn't get water all over the place. Using the nozzle, it only took him a couple minutes to get the blood cleaned off of Mick's arms and hands. Thankfully the blood hadn't dried, more than likely from the virus, Josef concluded.

"Here Mick… get the blood off of your mouth…" Josef said, handing his friend a wet washcloth. Mick nodded and took it from him, cleaning the blood off of his face and neck. Josef turned his head the other way, not wanting to be tempted to do anything. He managed to keep his fangs from extending and his eyes to shift back to brown, and to restrain himself from doing anything detrimental to his friend.

Once he heard the faucet turn off did Josef look back over at Mick, looking completely normal despite the overwhelming scent of blood hanging in the air. He watched as Mick set the blood-soaked washcloth in the sink, feeling his eyes shift to vampiric silver before he made them return to their normal brown. Mick caught it, however.

"Josef, I s-still have some blood in the… refrigerator… if y-you're hungry…" Mick said, motioning to the said appliance. Josef looked over at it, more to keep himself from looking back at the bloody sink that anything.

"I'll probably take you up on that…" Josef replied, _'… or else I might hurt you on accident…'_ he finished in his mind; not daring to speak it aloud and possibly panic his friend. Panicking would only make Mick's condition worse. "… but first, you need to lie down before you accidentally hurt yourself…" he advised, seeing Mick was still swaying uneasily on his feet.

Mick nodded, staggering slightly before he grabbed at the counter for support. Unfortunately for the former vampire, the counter's surface was slick with water and blood, and his hands slid off and he started to collapse. Josef was at his side in a flash and caught him, preventing him from falling and possibly hurting himself.

The vampire could feel his eyes flash silver and his fangs drawing out, due to his mouth being so close to Mick's unprotected neck. His mouth opened slightly, but he bit his lip to keep from biting into his friend's throat, not even caring that by doing so his fangs left a bad wound on his own lip. It didn't matter, seeing as the wounds healed a second later. Josef helped Mick stand back on his own two feet before he backed off for a moment, making sure his fangs retracted and his eyes returned to brown.

"Alright… you're going to go and lie down…" Josef said, walking back over to Mick and putting his friend's arm over his shoulder so he wouldn't fall again. Mick nodded weakly but didn't say anything; he was probably trying to keep from coughing up blood with Josef so close. That was a good thing too, seeing as Josef wasn't sure if he'd be able to trust himself if that happened. He'd never been in a situation like this before, not once in his over four hundred year existence as a vampire.

Josef helped, or rather dragged, Mick back to the living room, making sure he laid down and didn't fall. Getting blood all over the place was something he could do without at the moment. "It's almost midnight Mick, so get some rest; it'll help you get over this quicker…" the vampire advised, making sure Mick was covered up in a blanket to help with his fever. Mick nodded slightly, his hazel eyes glazed over and half closed. He looked like he was about to fall asleep at any moment. Josef sat down on the opposite couch, looking out at the moon to keep from being tempted to do anything. The full moon was nearly directly overhead, telling the vampire it was a little past midnight. He looked at the moon for a few minutes before he glanced back down at Mick, and as he had expected his now-mortal friend was fast asleep.

Deciding that Mick would be alright if he left for a few minutes, Josef got up and walked back to the kitchen. _'Even though it's going to taste horrible… I need to get some blood in my system or else I just might hurt Mick…'_ he thought, unable to hide the disgust on his face at the thought of the bagged blood's taste, _'… but getting something in my system now is better than accidentally attacking Mick if he coughs again…'_ he told himself mentally, not wanting to even think of what he might do to his best friend if he didn't drink soon. The vampire entered the kitchen and walked over to the refrigerator, opening it. It was full of human food, but in the back he could see the bagged blood.

Pulling out one of the bags, Josef couldn't help but scowl at it in disgust. He couldn't even begin to understand how Mick had managed to survive off of this for the last few decades. Taking straight from the vein was _so_ much better than drinking this dead, lifeless blood any day. He had tried countless times to get his friend to drink from one of his freshies, but every time Mick had refused. The vampire sighed, looking at the cold, dead blood in his hand. This was going to be a _long_ couple of days.

Using one of the knives in the kitchen, Josef made a small puncture in the plastic. He poured some of the blood into a glass, filling it about two-thirds of the way. The blood was thick and cold, and smelled very unappealing to Josef, who was used to drinking fresh and living blood from his willing freshies. After he had filled the glass up to the level he wanted, Josef used a piece of tape to seal the cut in the bag before he put it back in the fridge. Even if he hated the stuff, there was no need to waste it and get it all over the place.

As Josef returned the bagged blood to where he had found it, he spotted a pitcher of orange juice. "Good… that site said orange juice would help him get over the blood loss..." he mused aloud, looking idly at the juice. He snatched the glass pitcher and pulled it out, looking it over more closely. _'I better make Mick drink some… to help his body make more blood to replace what he's coughing all over the place…'_ he thought, shutting the fridge. He pulled out another glass and poured his friend some of the juice, before he put the pitcher back where he had found it. Before he left, he snatched another washcloth from the counter, knowing they'd probably need it if another coughing fit set in.

Josef left the kitchen, turning off the light and walking back into the living room. Mick had rolled over in his sleep, his back to the vampire. He sighed and sat the glass of blood and the washcloth on the coffee table, before he crouched down beside the couch and gently shook his friend's shoulder. "Mick?" he said quietly, "… Mick, wake up for a minute…" he spoke a little more loudly. Mick groaned tiredly before his hazel eyes opened slightly, blinking tiredly. He looked up at Josef for a minute, his normally bright eyes dull.

"… what?" Mick asked tiredly, looking at the vampire sleepily. The raven-haired human clearly didn't notice the glass that the vampire held.

"You need to drink some orange juice, Mick." Josef commanded gently, offering his friend the glass, "It'll help with the blood loss, and should help your immune system fight off the virus…" he added as Mick took the glass from him.

"Thanks Josef…" Mick said as he took a sip of the bright-colored liquid. He had always been fond of orange juice, so he drank it without complaint. After all, it was _much_ better than drinking blood.

"It's no trouble Mick, now once you finish that you need to get some more rest." Josef replied, standing back up and picking up his own glass from the table. He sat down on the other couch, so he'd be able to keep a close watch over his friend. Before long he'd have to either rest in Mick's freezer for a bit or take a cold shower, but until then he'd keep an eye on his friend.

Josef looked at the glass of cold blood he held and scowled, his lip curling slightly in disgust. He didn't even want to look at it, let alone drink it, but he knew that if he didn't he just might end up attacking Mick for his blood. And he didn't want that to happen. The vampire sighed before he lifted the glass up, sniffing its contents with disdain. He resisted the urge to growl at the blood's distasteful odor.

"Well… bottom's up…" Josef muttered in disgust, before he took a quick drink of the blood. He swallowed it quickly, but he couldn't help but taste the dead blood's fetid flavor. It was nothing like the delicious, living blood he was used to drinking straight from his freshies' veins. But, he'd get used to drinking it for a little bit, if it was for his friend. The vampire bit his lip slightly, before he forced down another sip of the cold liquid. He was half tempted to warm it up in the microwave, but he knew that'd make it taste worse by degrading the already dead cells to an even worse state. And honestly he didn't think he could imagine a worse taste than this, and he wasn't very keen on finding out if there was a way to make it taste any fouler than it already was to his dignified palette.

Despite the blood's putrid taste, Josef felt the gnawing hunger inside him dull slightly. Even if it was only slight, it was an improvement, and helped him ignore the inviting scent of Mick's blood. Currently he was willing to do anything it took to keep from hurting Mick and so that he'd be able to keep watch over his friend. He thought about possibly going to his house and feeding from one of his freshies to help sate his hunger, but then again he knew leaving Mick alone for any extended length of time was a bad idea. And he didn't want to risk his friend's life on something as trivial as his personal blood preferences.

As Josef continued to drink his glass of blood, he couldn't help but look over at Mick and sigh. He had never seen his friend in such a sorry state before, and needless to say it deeply bothered the vampire. He wasn't accustomed to hearing Mick's heart beat or hear him breathing non-stop, or for the former vampire's skin to be warm to the touch. It would take a bit of time for the vampire to get used to his friend being 'alive' again, since to Josef it had been over four hundred years since he been human himself, and had all but forgotten what it was like to be truly _human_.

When his friend coughed slightly, Josef looked over at Mick, his warm auburn eyes settling on his best friend's frail form. Being human meant his friend was vulnerable, but Josef wasn't about to let anything happen to Mick if he could prevent it. He'd sooner die than let anyone or anything hurt his best friend, and he'd be more than willing to give his life to protect him. But Josef knew there was little he could do to help Mick fight this virus; whether he lived or died rested solely in Mick's human hands, and that sense of helplessness really bothered Josef. The vampire wasn't accustomed to feeling helpless, and he hated it.

Josef set his glass down on the table and pulled out his phone. He flipped it open and looked through the history, before finding Beth's number. The vampire hesitated, since he wasn't exactly on very friendly terms with her, but decided to text her anyway. She needed to know of Mick's condition, and also know to stay away until he was better. Josef quickly typed a message, not bothering to be delicate with the issue at hand-

_Mick is really sick with the Sonora virus. I'm with him now, but until he's better you need to stay away or you'll get sick too. Don't worry Beth, I'll take good care of him until he's better –Josef_

Josef sent the message and closed his phone, setting it on the table beside his glass. He had a feeling the human female would call him in a panic after reading his text, but he figured it was better if she knew. After all, she was one of Mick's only friends. Josef sighed quietly, looking over at Mick again. It was dead silent in the room, the only noise being Mick's labored breathing and heartbeat. _'Well… at least the blood helped… now his blood isn't so tempting… but I'm not sure how long that will last…'_ he thought, sighing quietly. Attacking his best friend was the very last thing he wanted to do. But if Mick got much worse there was always the chance that he'd take advantage of his friend's vulnerable state and feed- Josef shook his head, pushing the distressing thoughts away. He didn't want to even _think_ of him doing something to Mick. He doubted he'd ever be able to forgive himself if he ever did something to harm his friend.

'_Let's just hope Mick fights off this virus… because if he doesn't soon, he might have to fight me off as well…'_

* * *

**AN**- so, there were some pretty close calls in this chapter. ^^; But we all know Josef would never consciously want to hurt Mick. But, if Mick does get worse, there's always the chance that something could happen and Josef might just lose it for a moment or two! And with Mick in the state he's in, a moment or two might just be all it takes!! D: So, will Beth heed Josef's warning and stay away? Will Mick's condition improve? Will Josef be able to reframe from feeding off his best friend?! You'll just have to wait until next chapter to find out!! Thanks for reading and please review!! :D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


	3. Remedies

**AN**- hello, ShadowRebirth37 here!! So, on to chapter 3!! :D Not much happened last chapter, but I assure you that won't last. *evil laugh* Errhem… umm… well. ^^; Anyways, the plot will pick up from here on end. Now, again, this isn't going to be a terribly long fic, probably not exceeding seven chapters, but who knows. ^^; So, without further a due, chapter 3- Remedies!! (Hmm… maybe a positive change is near? ^^;)

Btw, someone by the name of Alexis is mentioned here. Alexis is a name I made up for one of Josef's freshies. So… she's not major or anything. I just thought I'd let you know. Oh, and a certain Egyptian Mau will make a quick appearance in this chapter. Most of you probably won't remember him, but I do and I think he deserved a mention. ^^;

* * *

Morning soon came; the warm light slowly spreading over both Mick and Josef's sleeping forms. The brown-haired vampire growled sleepily at the offending light of the sun, his auburn eyes opening and glaring towards the windows unhappily. He sat up from where he had dozed off on the couch, his normally pristine clothes wrinkled and disheveled and his hair an absolute mess. He felt horrible, probably from sleeping on the couch all night. Halfway through the night, he had gotten up and taken a cold shower to cool off, knowing that if he borrowed Mick's now-unused freezer he would have slept far longer than he would have liked. But it was morning now, and there was no use whining over what was already in the past.

Josef yawned and stretched his arms and back, his fangs visible for a brief moment. The vampire blinked sleepily, rubbing his chocolate-colored eyes tiredly. _'Damn sun… it's too early to get up…'_ he whined in his head, not speaking it aloud so not to wake his mortal friend. Josef got up off of the couch, pulling the curtains so the burning light of the sun wouldn't bother either of them.

As Josef turned back to check on Mick, a glint of light on the table caught his sensitive eyes. He walked back over to the couch and sat down where he had slept, snatching his phone from the table. The glint had been the display flashing, alerting him of voice mails and new messages. Josef sighed when he saw it. 12 New Messages and 7 voicemails. He didn't even need to check the sender to know they were all from Beth.

"… women…" Josef sighed, shaking his head, "… always so dramatic…" he added under his breath, flipping open his phone and checking the time. 7:36 in the morning. _Way_ too early in the vampire's books. Josef groaned and got back to his feet, stretching out again. _'I know this is going to be bad… but I need to call Beth and fill her in…'_ the vampire sighed, walking into another room and shutting the door so he wouldn't wake Mick.

Josef opened his missed calls, and redialed Beth's number. Might as well get it over with. He lifted the phone to his ear and it rang once before Beth answered. That alone told Josef that not only had Beth been up all night, probably worried sick about Mick.

"Josef? My God, is Mick alright?!" Beth immediately questioned, practically screaming into the phone, panic and worry clearly evident to the vampire through her voice.

"Beth calm down!" Josef growled, having jerked the phone away when the human female had shouted into the phone. His sensitive hearing didn't really appreciate that.

"Sorry, I'm just worried. That virus is really dangerous and Mick hasn't been sick in a long time…" Beth replied, forgetting for a moment that the vampire's senses were so sensitive.

"It's alright Beth. Now, Mick is alright at the moment. He's been coughing up a lot of blood, but his condition seems stable. He's sleeping right now, and his breathing seems a tad easier…" Josef attempted to reassure, "… if this continues, he should be back to his old self soon. Well… not his 'old' self, but you get my point."

"That's good to hear, I was worried sick after reading your text…" Beth sighed in relief, "… call or text me when he gets better, I want to see him."

"I will, Beth." Josef gave her his word, "And don't worry about Mick, I'll take good care of him." He assured.

"Thank you Josef, it means a lot…" Beth answered, before Josef heard someone talking in the background on the other end of the line. "I've gotta go, Josef. Call me if something happens." She added quickly before she clicked off. Josef sighed and closed the phone. _'Well… apart from now being deaf in one ear, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be…'_ Josef thought sarcastically, putting the phone back in his pocket and rubbing his ear for a moment.

As Josef pondered what he should do now, he heard Mick shifting around through the closed door. The vampire immediately opened the door and walked back to the living room, wanting to check on Mick. Said mortal was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Josef chuckled slightly at his friend, which caught his attention.

"Hey Josef…" Mick yawned, stretching his arms and back out tiredly. Josef walked over to his friend, sitting beside him.

"Did you sleep alright? You didn't cough as much after you drank the orange juice…" Josef inquired, looking over at his mortal friend.

"I slept fine… but the couch is murder on my back…" Mick whined slightly, stretching again, his back making a loud cracking noise before he sighed in relief. "… much better…" Josef just shook his head at the human. They were such fickle creatures.

"Well… now that that's all settled, do you want anything?" Josef offered, standing back up to go get a glass of blood from the kitchen. Mick thought for a moment.

"… another glass of orange juice would be nice, Josef." Mick replied, looking up at the vampire. Josef nodded, before he headed to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice carton and the half-emptied bag of blood. He scowled at the bag in disgust, nearly hissing at the foul-tasting liquid within. He was tempted to pour the bag's contents down the sink, but he knew he needed to drink it or risk attacking Mick.

In one of the glasses he poured orange juice, and the other he filled with blood. He put the carton and bag back in the refrigerator, before he took the glasses back out to the living room. Mick was sitting on the couch, wiping his face with the washcloth. Apparently he had had another coughing fit in Josef's absence.

"Here you go Mick…" Josef said, handing his friend the glass of orange juice. Mick took it without complaint, drinking it eagerly. Josef sat beside him, taking a drink of his own glass with a bit of disdain. To his relief, or horror, he couldn't be certain; he found that he was growing accustomed to the vile taste of the bagged blood. That fact disturbed the vampire slightly.

Josef drank his glass of A positive quickly, his thirst sated for now. He set his slightly-reddened glass on the coffee table, looking over at Mick. His human friend was still drinking his orange juice, and Josef could tell it was helping with the virus. He hadn't coughed as much after the first glass last night and a little bit of color had returned to his skin. The unmistakable scent of blood was still heavy on his breath, but thankfully for the both of them it wasn't as tempting as it had been the night before.

As Josef kept an eye on Mick, a sudden thought struck him. He didn't know anything about dealing with blood loss, but his freshies did, considering he drank from them all the time. They'd know a lot more about remedies for blood loss than he ever would. As he thought of this, one particular freshie, Alexis, came to mind. _'Alexis is a nurse… she probably knows more than the others about remedies for blood loss… hell, she might be able to get me some special medicines or something from the hospital!'_ he thought, smirking outwardly.

"Hang tight for a minute, Mick; I need to make a phone call…" Josef spoke, getting to his feet and whipping out his phone. Before Mick could question, he was in another room. The vampire shut the door behind him, flipping through the contacts on his phone. He found Alexis's number and dialed it, pressing the phone to his ear. The phone rang once before the young woman answered.

"Hello Mr. Kostan!" Alexis answered cheerfully, "How are you this fine day?"

"I'm fine Alexis, but I'm calling on behalf of my friend…" Josef replied, "… my friend has come down with the Sonora virus. I know you're a nurse, so do you know how to treat this?" he asked, hoping she'd be able to help him. He heard her gasp on the other end of the line.

"The Sonora virus?! That's really bad!" Alexis exclaimed, "But, if it's in an early stage, orange juice will help. That won't be enough though and it's not the best remedy…" she trailed off.

"Well… is there any better way to treat this? It's still in the early stages." Josef asked, growing concerned for his friend.

"Orange juice will help with the immune system and a little with the blood loss, but since the blood loss is the real killer, you should give your friend a teaspoon-full of blackstrap molasses every two hours. It'll help with the blood loss; I take some right after I let you take from me! Isotonic fluids are also a good idea, though those need to be injected, and should only be used if the blood loss is really severe. But if not, than the molasses should do the trick!" Alexis answered happily, not at all bothered by the seemingly morbid subject. Josef sighed; glad to hear the good news.

"Thank you Alexis, you're a lifesaver…" Josef thanked her, "… but, I'd really appreciate it if you could get me some blackstrap molasses and a bag of the isotonic fluid and drop it off at my friend's apartment. I'll text you the address in a minute if you're willing to help…"

"Oh I'd be happy to Mr. Kostan!!" Alexis chirped, basically beaming, "As soon as I'm on my lunch hour I'll run down!!" she said cheerily. Josef sighed in relief.

"Thank you Alexis, that'd mean a lot. I'll see you then." Josef thanked, before hanging up. Josef texted Mick's address to Alexis a moment later, so the nurse would be able to drop off the supplies to him during her lunch hour. After that, the vampire put the cell phone back in his pocket and opened the door, walking out and joining Mick again. The human looked up at him when Josef sat back beside him.

"And where did you go?" Mick asked, looking over at his friend. Josef sighed and leaned back against the couch, before answering Mick.

"I just called one of my freshies for blood loss remedies. She's going to bring over some blackstrap molasses to give you and some isotonic fluids in case you go into shock or lose too much blood too fast…" Josef replied, looking over at Mick, "She's going to run those things over during her lunch hour, so just hang tight and soon you'll be better in no time…" the vampire said, patting his mortal friend on the back.

"I can't wait; I'm really tired of being sick…" Mick muttered, "… I forgot how much being sick really sucked…" he whined, coughing slightly. Josef chuckled slightly.

"Well, you're the one who wanted to be human, buddy…" Josef teased slightly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks Josef." Mick said sarcastically, rolling his eyes slightly.

"I try my best…" Josef replied jokingly, crossing his arms behind his head. Mick sighed and fell back against the back of the catch next to Josef, looking out the window. The pair was quiet for a few long minutes, before Mick spoke up.

"… alright… I rephrase my words… this _really_ sucks…" Mick complained, sighing again. Josef reached over and laid his hand on Mick's shoulder, looking over at him.

"Well, think of it this way, it could be worse…" Josef replied, "… Lance could try and kill you while you're weak and mortal…" Mick looked over at him blankly.

"… is that supposed to make me feel better…?" Mick sighed, looking at the older vampire. Josef smirked, seeing he had gotten Mick's thoughts off of his illness.

"Nope, but it got your mind off being sick…" Josef replied slyly, smirking as he got to his feet, "… well, seeing as you're not in danger of coughing up your lung at the moment, I'm going to take a quick nap in your freezer. Being up all night has done a real number on me…" he complained, stretching his arms. Mick rolled his eyes at him.

"Alright Josef, have a nice nap." Mick said, laying back down and stretching out on the couch. Josef rolled his eyes slightly at Mick before he went upstairs to his former-vampire friend's freezer.

* * *

Josef spent a few hours in the freezer, resting after his fitful night spent on the couch watching Mick. He got out around eleven thirty, and attempted to make himself look somewhat decent. The vampire was cursing himself for not thinking and grabbing another pair of clothes before he came over, since he couldn't use any of Mick's clothes. They weren't anywhere near up to his standards.

He came down the stairs, and nearly jumped through the roof, quite literally, when a grey flash shot past his leg, hissing at him as it did so. Josef took a minute to recollect himself, having been taken completely off-guard, which was about as surprising as the very thing that scared him. The vampire continued down the stairs, but stopped at the bottom when he heard Mick chuckling and some sort of animal-esque noise, along with the jingling of what sounded like a bell.

"… Mick?" Josef called, unsure of what he was hearing. Mick's chuckling stopped, and Josef walked out into the living room and stopped, sniffing the air, picking up on the thick, musty scent of an animal.

"What Josef?" Mick answered, looking over his shoulder at the vampire.

"… what are you doing? What just came down here?" Josef questioned, walking over to his friend. A moment later, he discovered the answer for himself. "Mick? Is that… is that a _cat_?" he asked, seeing a silvery cat curled up on the former vampire's lap. He was confused. Since when did Mick have a cat? Animals were naturally fearful of vampires, he knew that as fact. And where did Mick get a cat as rare as an Egyptian Mau? Mick looked up at Josef, stroking the purring feline.

"Oh, this is Travis…" Mick said, looking down at the cat, "He belonged to Maureen, and I'm looking after him until I can find a permanent home for him…" he explained when he saw Josef's confused look.

"Ahh…" Josef said, sitting on the opposite couch, knowing the cat would attack him if he got too close. "So, what're you gonna do once you become a vamp again? Whiskers there won't be too fond of you once that happens…" he asked, leaning back into the couch and putting his feet up on the coffee table.

"Well… hopefully by that time, Travis will be in a new home…" Mick replied, rubbing the silvery, spotted feline curled up in his lap. The cat was purring happily, his eyes closed contently. Seeing the cat reminded Josef of something.

"Speaking of pets, I called Beth while you were sleeping…" Josef said, smirking at his friend's expression of him referring to Beth as a 'pet human', "… she was scared to death that the virus might just be the end of you, but I told her not to worry, since Coraline took care of that half a century ago…" he said sarcastically, not missing how Mick rolled his eyes.

"Very funny Josef, now what did you two really say?" Mick asked, knowing that wasn't what they had seriously talked about.

"I told her you were sick, she was worried, and to call her if you just up and die on me…" Josef answered, crossing his legs, "… but I'm not about to let that happen. If anything's gonna kill you it's gonna be me, probably for you doing something amazingly stupid…" he teased. Mick rolled his eyes again.

"Thanks Josef, I feel so much better…" the human replied sarcastically. Josef just smirked at him.

"You're welcome; I try my hardest…" Josef replied smartly. He got to his feet, and as if responding to his thoughts the doorbell rang. "Well, as if on cue…" he added, walking to the door. He opened it after a glance at the monitor, making sure it was Alexis. He opened the door and smiled. The blonde nurse was in her early twenties, with her golden hair reaching just above her shoulders. Her eyes were bright blue and full of life, which was reflected in the wonderful taste of her blood. She was thin and tall, around 5'7, and had a delectable blood type of O positive, one of Josef's favorites.

"Hello Josef!"Alexis beamed happily, offering him the bag she was carrying, "I brought a jar of blackstrap molasses and two bags of isotonic fluid, some hypodermic needles and an IV line, and a few face masks in case you have anyone over while you watch your friend…" she said, handing the vampire the bag.

"Why thank you, Alexis, you've been a great help…" Josef responded, smiling, "… if it isn't too much to ask, would you be willing to take a look at my friend? Just to see how far along the virus is?"

"Oh of course I'll take a look! I was planning on it anyway!" Alexis answered cheerfully, indicating that she was already wearing rubber gloves and had a mask around her neck. Josef nodded and welcomed her in, wanting her to take a look at Mick. The blonde smiled and walked in, putting her mask on so that she wouldn't catch the virus herself. She made her way over to the couch, but immediately spotted Travis.

"What an adorable cat!" Alex chirped, stroking the silvery, spotted feline. Travis purred loudly, leaning into her hand with his eyes closed. Mick looked up at Alexis and glanced at Josef for a moment, before he spoke up.

"Do you like cats, Alexis?" Mick asked, remembering that Josef had called her that at the door. Alexis looked up at Mick and nodded, and he could tell she was smiling under the mask.

"I love cats! I have one at home, her name is Trinity and she's an Egyptian Mau like this one…" Alexis replied, though it was a tad muffled through the facemask.

"Would you like to take him?" Mick inquired, "I was just watching him for a little bit. He doesn't have a permanent home and I won't be able to take care of him with work, so you're welcome to have him…" he explained, and was pleased to see the joy in Alexis's eyes.

"I'd be more than happy to take him!" the nurse shrieked joyfully, "I've been looking for a friend for Trinity for a long time, but Egyptian Mau isn't a common breed around here. I'll take good care of him, promise!!" Mick nodded at her answer, glad that Travis would get a permanent home with someone who could take care of him.

"Now that the cat problem is taken care of…" Josef said, crossing his arms slightly, "… can you take a look at Mick and see if he'll be alright?" he added, and the blonde nurse nodded. She took the stethoscope from around her neck and put the buds in her ears, before pressing the flat part to Mick's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Well… his heart seems alright, so the blood loss isn't really severe…" Alexis mused after a moment, "… take a few deep breaths, Mick…" she said, and the former vampire did as she asked. Alexis was quiet, listening intently to determine how advanced a stage the virus was in. Minutes passed, and Josef grew a little impatient.

"So…?" the vampire asked, wanting to know if Mick was going to be alright. Alexis sighed before she removed the stethoscope, letting it hang around her neck.

"Well… it's not bad, but it's not all that good either…" Alexis replied after a moment, "… the virus is in an early stage, but it's already caused considerable damage. It's not as bad as some of the other cases I've seen, but it'll take a few days for it to clear up. As long as he keeps drinking orange juice, takes the molasses every two hours and gets his rest, he should get over it in about three days." The nurse explained, turning to Josef, "… now, before I say for sure, I need to get his temperature and make sure his fever isn't too high…" she added, reaching into her purse and pulling out a tympanic thermometer. She turned it on and ran it over Mick's forehead, and a moment later it beeped.

"So? What's it say?" Josef asked, looking over her shoulder to try and see what the thermometer said.

"100.7 degrees…" Alexis answered, "… it's high, but not alarmingly high. As long as you monitor it and make sure it doesn't go up any, he should be just fine…" she reassured, giving the vampire a sweet smile. Josef sighed in relief, glad Mick would likely make a full recovery.

"That's great news Alexis, thank you…" Josef replied, before he vanished. He returned a moment later with Travis's carrier. "Since you're going to take Travis, you'll need his carrier…" he said, setting the white crate on the couch next to Mick. The former vampire put the silvery feline inside and shut the door, making sure it was locked so he'd be safe.

"I really appreciate you taking Travis, I'm sure he'll be very happy with you…" Mick said as Alexis picked up the carrier.

"Not a problem!!" Alexis chirped, "I'll take great care of him! I hope you feel better soon Mick!" she added cheerily as Josef escorted her out. After all if she didn't drop Travis off at her house soon, she'd be late back to work. Josef said his goodbyes before he shut the door, locking it out of habit. He had almost asked his young freshie for a little 'liquid refreshment', but he knew that if he bit her she could catch the virus, and that Mick would throw a fit over it. If he hated watching him feed as a vampire, he figured he'd be disgusted if he saw him feed while he was human.

"Well… seems you're gonna be just fine…" Josef said casually, walking back over to the couch and sitting beside Mick. The human sighed and leaned his head back against the couch, clearly very relieved.

"Thank God… I was worried, considering I'm allergic to penicillin…" Mick breathed, closing his eyes and sighing again. Josef looked over at him a little oddly.

"You're allergic to penicillin?" the vampire repeated, "Well, let's be glad that the virus is in its early stages, and hopefully you won't need that shot. Speaking of which…" Josef trailed off, rooting through the bag his freshie had left them, pulling out the jar of blackstrap molasses, "… you better take some of this, to make sure you don't get any worse…" he finished, setting the jar on the table before he vanished to the kitchen.

"Josef, while you're in there get me some more orange juice!" Mick called to him, and a moment later the vampire returned with a spoon and a glass of the juice.

"Okay, let's get some of this in your system…" Josef said, opening the jar. The molasses was dark and thick, like he had expected, but didn't look special to the vampire in any way. He wasn't entirely sure how it would help Mick with his blood loss, but he figured Alexis wasn't just a nurse for show. He removed a spoonful of the thick liquid, having to fight to get the spoon back out again. Making sure he didn't spill any, he turned to Mick. "Here Mick, I'm not gonna spoon-feed you…" he teased slightly, handing his mortal friend the spoon.

"Thanks Josef…" Mick replied, rolling his eyes before taking the spoonful of molasses. The former vampire didn't just take the 'medicine', he licked the spoon clean. The molasses was delicious, since it was basically just unrefined sugar. Josef snatched the spoon from Mick, who huffed unhappily.

"Now now, don't choke yourself with it…" Josef teased, poking fun at how his friend had been licking the spoon. He got to his feet and walked to the kitchen, setting the spoon in the sink, next to the bloody washcloth from the night before. He opened the fridge and pulled out another bag of blood. _'A positive again? Is that all he has?'_ Josef whined mentally, not all that fond of the blood type. He sighed and poured the blood into a glass anyway, not wanting to get dehydrated and possibly attack Mick. That was the last thing either of them needed.

A few minutes later, Josef walked back over to the couch, sitting down beside his now-human friend. "I helped myself to a glass, if you don't mind…" he said, before taking a drink of the blood. Mick looked over at him and just shook his head.

"No no, I don't mind at all; help yourself, seeing that I need it desperately…" Mick replied sarcastically, knowing he wouldn't need blood for a long time if things went in his favor. Josef chuckled slightly before taking another drink, not paying the human any mind. "I don't care if you finish off the rest of the blood in the fridge, just don't let me catch you licking up the blood I'm coughing all over the place…" he added jokingly after a moment. Josef stopped drinking and looked over at him.

"But why? It's not like I'm biting you for it. Besides, I bet it tastes absolutely delectable…" Josef mock whined, before he smirked at the look on Mick's face. "I'm just kidding buddy. I'm not going to do anything as Rouge-ish as that. But… if you hurt yourself on accident and start bleeding all over the place, I can't promise that I won't have a little taste…" the vampire teased, chuckling at Mick's slightly horrified expression. "Mick, again, I'm just messing with you, calm down. I'm not about to feed on my best friend, no matter how delicious your blood smells…" he finished with a fanged smirk. Mick rolled his eyes at Josef.

"Thanks… I guess…" Mick replied, thinking for a minute, "… well, I'm tired, I'm going to take a nap. You're welcome to the freezer, since I don't have much of a use for it currently…" he offered, stretching out and lying down on the couch.

"I'll take you up on that, since watching you all night didn't really leave me much time to sleep…" Josef answered, getting to his feet, "… just yell if you need anything, or you know where to find me…" he added, smirking slightly before he headed upstairs to the freezer.

* * *

**AN**- well, things certainly seem to have taken a turn for the better! ^^ But will this last? Who knows… ^^; Sorry if Travis only appeared for a short while, but I had to include him, since I haven't read a fic where he's more than just mentioned. And in the show he just vanishes, which I didn't like, so I think he deserves closure. ^^; And yes, Travis is an Egyptian Mau. I did some research, and it's clear in the show that he's that breed. Just so you know. ^^; Now don't fear, the fic isn't ending so soon. There's more to come and things will pick up, I swear!! Thanks for reading and please leave a nice review!! :D

_**~Ibeyla ^^**_


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